Tag Archives: elk

A
s a few of you may have noticed, I am no longer a Bostonian. I now collect my street cred points from Oakland. I love it out here so far, but wish I could somehow mash it together with everything I love about Boston, i.e. Sara and Dunkin’ Donuts egg croissants. Some things are different (the time zone), some are the same (ketchup), I miss lots of people, many of which are irreplaceable, but am having fun meeting new ones out here too.

Here are a few observations I’ve made so far:

Living on the Berkeley border affords me many bizarre encounters. More than a few times I have seen people walking around, even skateboarding, with multiple cats lazily perched on their heads and shoulders, just going for a cruise. My jaw just drops as I try to count the balancing kitties.

There is no shortage of music in the area either. You may come back to your car to find two hippies leaning against it playing a piece of cardboard with an outline of a guitar scribbled on it, trying to remember the lyrics to Willy Wonka songs.

To maintain my Olympian-like physique, I’ve signed up for dance classes out here. Without Sara by my side, I am doing the butterfly stroke in a pool of awkwardness. In a tradition that I’m not used to, we wrap up class with a cool-down song, a stretching song, and then a song to do a certain exercise that only ladies can do which rhymes with “bagels.” I’m not typically the square in the room, but this does the trick.

And now, some highlights from living with Robb:

His uncanny Billie Holiday singing impressions.

Sometimes we stop for tacos on the way home. This is step 2 to maintaining my Olympian-like physique. Two hours later, we finally get home after an impromptu taco crawl stopping at every taqueria on the block.

He knows where the elks hang out. Not like an Elks Lodge. Like the animal. In the wilderness.

More updates to come as the weirdness continues. Boston friends, come visit soon!

Sara’s Commentary On The Above:

1.) One of my favorite challenges that Ellen and Robb had to overcome in their new apartment was how to be able to have a rug in their bathroom that didn’t crumple up every time the door was opened and shut. Their collective lightbulb went off and told them that taking the door off the hinge and sawing off one inch from the bottom was the best solution. I never did hear the resolution to this cliff hanger predicament.